The largest locust swarms in 50 years devour African crops while the coronavirus pandemic spreads at record speed and drought strikes in many places – Is God sending us a message through these historic plagues?
Is the Trifecta of Plagues a Message from God?
Could God have a hand in this locust plague, the coronavirus and droughts? Let’s look at scripture.
2 Chronicles 7:14 has become a universal prayer for Christians across the world for the solution to the coronavirus. “…and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
I have been praying in faith under this scripture as well. However, we can’t ignore the proceeding sentence in verse 13. “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people,”
Does anyone see the amazing timing of the three plagues mentioned in 2 Chronicles 7:13 all occurring at a historical levels at the exact same time!
Locusts Plagues Cause Devastation not Seen in 50 Years
While the coronavirus ravages the world, enormous locust swarms have plagued East Africa. I’m sure you have seen headlines such as these:
- Locust Swarms, Some 3 Times the Size of New York City, Are Eating Their Way Across Two Continents
- Hundreds of billions of locusts swarm in East Africa
- Desert Locust Outbreak at Crisis Point, Industry Body Says
- East Africa locust swarms gather as coronavirus curbs delay pesticides
These are the largest swarms to hit East Africa in the past 30-50 years. The swarms of locusts have already decimated crops, and heavy rainfall in certain areas could result in 5x larger swarms.
Locusts eat their own weight in food each day, causing food shortages as they go. According to Gro Intelligence, a privately funded commodity data and analysis service, the locusts are affecting more than 61.8 million acres of farmland in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. This equates to 84% of crops in Ethiopia, 85% in Somalia and 33% in Kenya of crops being at risk to the swarms.
But the locusts are spreading beyond Africa. Swarms are moving into the middle east including Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran and Pakistan. Here is link to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization providing updates on the situation.
And this could not have been orchestrated at a worst time. With the coronavirus spreading globally, shipments of pesticides are being delayed and further economic strain will be placed on countries with few resources. At the same time, much of East Africa has been subject to drought. Famine is sure to result.
Are the Locust Plagues a Message from God?
So it is possible that God would send locust swarms as a warning? He has done this before. In Exodus 10:4 God brought locusts to Egypt because the Pharaoh held his people in bondage. “For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.“
“There is a correlation between the locust swarms and Christian persecution”
If God has plagued nations that persecuted His people in the past, I wondered if there could be a correlation to persecution today.
Here is a map of the locust swarms:
Now let’s examine a map of Christian persecution:
You can see that there is a significant correlation between the areas with the highest levels of Christian persecution and the locust swarms.
Like the locust plague in Egypt, I believe this plague could be a message from God warning these nations to stop persecuting His people.
Are Virus Plagues a Message from God?
There are other virus plagues hitting the world such as AIDS, which has killed millions. But the coronavirus has spread like wildfire and disrupted the world like no other. Let’s look at a map of the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread:
The coronavirus has also hit countries with strong Christian persecution such as China and Iran. China, the source of this virus, in particular has ramped up Christian persecution recently. The Chinese government has razed mega-churches to the ground and commissioned the writing of a new bible that is more friendly to the communist party.
But what is also interesting is the coronavirus has hit the U.S. and Europe particularly hard. In the U.S., the virus has particularly hit hard New York/New Jersey, Michigan, Louisiana(New Orleans), Michigan and Washington.
Is there a correlation here? Here are two tables. The table on the left how the highest countries with coronavirus cases (source Johns Hopkins). The table on the right shows the cases and deaths per state with population normalization per 100k residents (source CNN).
Based on this data, I believe the coronavirus has particularly hit states and nations that once knew God, but have rebelled. Instead of pursuing Him, they have pursued agendas that go against his will such as abortion, lawlessness, anti-semitism and atheism. They have traded God for worldly idols of wealth, possessions, extravagant travel, sports and entertainment – all of which have been shaken by this virus.
For more on this, read my post, Is the Coronavirus a Warning from God?
“I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt;… Yet you have not returned to Me“
God has used pestilence in the past to bring about repentance as evidenced by several scriptures.
In Numbers 16:41-50, God sent a plague upon the congregation for rebellion. The plague killed 14,700 people, only ceasing after Moses urgently made atonement on behalf of the congregation.
In Numbers 25:1-9, God sent a plague because His people joined with the woman of Moab and participated in the worship of other gods. 24,000 people died before Aaron took steps to kill an offender.
In Samuel 24:15-25 (and 1 Chronicles 21) God sent a plague that killed 70,000 men for King David’s disobedience. God halted the plague only after David repented and obeyed His orders through a prophet.
See the pattern?
So what are we to do? Much like 2 Chronicles 7:14, Amos 4 tells us “I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt;… Yet you have not returned to Me,” declares the Lord.”
What is God declaring? He is telling us who are His people, and have rebelled against His laws, that He has sent these things upon us so we will return to Him.
Are Drought Plagues a Message from God?
Next let’s look at the global drought map:
Droughts are hitting some place at levels not experienced for hundreds of years. So while areas in South America, Africa and Australia have not been as hard hit by COVID-19 they have been hit with extreme drought. Australia for example has its worst drought in 400 years, which resulted in wildfires on an unprecedented scale.
What is interesting is while there has been drought, there has also been historic flooding. An example of this are the cyclones that hit east Africa. Flooding can seriously damage drought-striken areas that have less foliage to stop erosion while doing little to relieve long-term drought conditions.
You can see that there is barely any part of the world that one or more of these plagues is significantly affecting.
What is God’s Message in these Plagues?
Why would a loving God send plagues upon us?
As I explained in the post Six Seals Revealed in the Oliver Discourse, the signs in Matthew 24 and the seals in Revelation 6 are warnings to us. They are meant to call us back to God as time draws short.
Looking again at 2 Chronicles 7:13-14. God is saying to us, “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.“
With these plagues God is practically screaming His to us to turn back! It is as if He is so desperate to call sons and daughters back that He gone to extreme measures to ensure they hear His message.
I have read where certain evangelists state that this plague is from the enemy. I understand that perspective and there is no doubt that the enemy uses viruses as an agent of death. But, let’s be clear. Satan did not create viruses. Viruses are life and God created all life. If God created viruses they must have a place and a purpose in His current plan for the world. God conveys these purposes through His word as detailed throughout this post.
If we ignore 2 Chronicles 7:13 and only recognize 7:14, we are missing the message and denying the power of the calling that God is expressing to His lost world.
Repent from sin. Return to Him. Time is Short.
For more on the coronavirus and other plagues already manifesting see my post Coronavirus is Peaking, Famine is Here, What Comes Next?
Other Relevant Scripture
Revelation 6:5-6 – When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
Revelation 6:7-8 – When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
Luke 21:10-11 – Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.